ISO 14001 FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions related to ISO 14001:2015 to help you in your certification journey.

You Mentioned New And Revised Areas In ISO 14001:2015: What Are These?

The standard has been updated to respond to latest trends in environmental management and includes additional requirements for: identifying and understanding the context of the organization; leadership; strategic environmental management; risk associated with threats and opportunities; life-cycle thinking; value chain controls; performance evaluation.
The standard has also adopted a new structure, often referred to as “Annex SL” which ensures that the standard is compatible with other ISO management system standards.
Our Guide and Gap Analysis Document provides more details on all of the expected changes as well as Annex SL.

The New Standard Mentions ‘Leadership’ – What Does This Mean?

There is an explicit and enhanced requirement for top management to demonstrate leadership and commitment relating to the system. There must be a clear and demonstrable link between the organization’s business strategy and its environmental policy and objectives. This is an enhanced requirement relating to top management.
Tip: Top management will need to take accountability for the effectiveness of the EMS in its entirety, giving consideration to environmental issues when planning strategy, and provide support and resources as necessary to ensure that the EMS achieves its intended outcome.

I Understand That There Is Now A ‘Two-Way Street’ In Relation To Aspects And Impacts

There is an explicit and enhanced requirement for top management to demonstrate leadership and commitment relating to the system. There must be a clear and demonstrable link between the organization’s business strategy and its environmental policy and objectives. This is an enhanced requirement relating to top management.
Tip: Top management will need to take accountability for the effectiveness of the EMS in its entirety, giving consideration to environmental issues when planning strategy, and provide support and resources as necessary to ensure that the EMS achieves its intended outcome.

I Have Heard There Is More Of A Focus On Risk – What Does This Mean For Me?

This is a new concept introduced in the planning section of the standard. It requires an organization to identify the risks and opportunities associated with aspects and impacts, compliance obligations (previously known as legal and other requirements), and other necessary issues or requirements and take action to address them.
Tip: “Risk and opportunities” can be thought of as potential adverse deviations from the expected (threats) or potential beneficial deviations from the expected (opportunities). This does not require an organization to conduct a formal risk assessment; rather the intention is to apply risk-based thinking.

The New Standard Does Not Contain A Requirement For There To Be A Management Representative – How Does This Affect NQA?

NQA will still need a nominated contact for all matters related to certification and the organization of certification visits. NQA do not expect this to have any impact on our relationship with our clients.

How Do You Cover The General Communication Section? Is It Different Internally Than Externally?

The ‘general’ section relates to the planning and preparation needed to establish an effective communication process. This should take into account information drawn from the needs and expectations of interested parties (4.2) to ensure that relevant information is made available/received as appropriate and in the form required. Once communication requirements are established, differing strategies can then be utilized to cover internal and external requirements.

What Do We Do If We Cannot Identify Anyone Within The Organization To Undertake The Internal Audit?

ISO 14001:2015 simply requires that the audits should be carried out objectively and impartially. There is no requirement, despite the name of the clause that they be carried out by an internal member of staff. Many consultants offer this service on a fee basis and some clients of ours have built relationships with other nearby certified companies and use their staff for audits either in a reciprocal manner or for a fee/exchange of service.

We Have Captured Emergency Response Within A Risk Register And Removed Our Previous Emergency Response Register - Is This Acceptable?

It is. Clause 6.1.2 which covers environmental aspects requires abnormal conditions and reasonably foreseeable emergency situations to be covered. As emergencies should be considered a high environmental risk, then it is perfectly acceptable and indeed it is the best way to include them in the risk register. Clause 8.2 still requires that process amendments or additional controls required to prepare for and mitigate potential emergency situations are identified, implemented, maintained and tested as appropriate.

Are There Any Key Differences In The Updated ISO 9001 In Comparison To The Updated ISO 14001?

Other than the obvious answer that one covers quality and one environment, yes they are identical in their format. All newly issued management standard (including the new ISO 45001 - Health and Safety) are based on the Annex SL model. Annex SL is a high-level structure created by ISO to provide a universal high-level structure, identical core text, and common terms and definitions for all management system standards. It was designed to make it easier for organizations that have to comply with more than one management system standard.

Would Publishing Copy Of Certificate On Website (Including Scope) Cover Off Requirement For Making Scope Publicly Available?

Clause 4.3 of the standard requires that the scope is made available to interested parties. You are correct in that one of the easiest ways is to make a copy of your ISO 14001 certificate available online, as this does contain the wording of the scope. You could as an alternative consider adding the words of the scope as an introductory sentence at the start of you policy as this document too has to be made available in a similar way. Clause 4.2 asks that you consider the needs of interested parties and communication of the scope and policy is one area that should be considered.

If You Have ISO 9001/14001 Old Standards Does That Mean They Will No Longer Be Certified In Sept 2018?

If you have not been formally assessed by your certification body against the 2015 standards by 14th September 2018, then on the 15th September 2018 you will be left with no certification. Certificates to the previous versions automatically expire at midnight on the 14th. This is the end-point of the 3 year transition and is a firm cut-off point that cannot be extended.

What Is Classed As Senior Management Commitment?

Senior management commitment is a phrase more associated with the 2004 version of the standard. The items you list would, under the previous standard would really have been the minimum acceptable activities to demonstrate this. The 2015 standard uses the phrase Leadership and Commitment. Top management are now required to have greater involvement in the EMS and must ensure that the requirements are integrated into the organisation’s processes and that the policy and objectives are aligned with the strategic direction of the organisation. There is also a greater focus on top management to commit to continual improvement of the EMS to enhance environmental performance.

How Long Do You Estimate It Will Take A Reasonably Simple Office Environment To Transition To The New Standard?

Assuming that you already have the 2004 standard in place then the changes to the documentation should be relatively straightforward. There is much more freedom in this new standard to set out the EMS in a way that suits your business. The structure and level of documentation required is down to you so long as you can demonstrate that you are in control of the process. There is no requirement for an environmental manual or documenting the procedures for control of documents, or for internal audit for example.
Organizations need to ensure they have the documents and records to demonstrate that the requirements of the standard have been met and that the system is implemented effective and maintained. You do need to cover the new requirements of the standard - there is guidance elsewhere on the NQA website including gap analysis documentation. Timewise, it depends upon how many changes you wish to make to your existing system.
NQA recommends that this is a good time to review the entire system and the existing controls in place. Personally, I would allow 6 months minimum as you also need to have held a management review and audited the new system prior to transition certification.

How Do You Ensure The EMS Is Giving Us What We Need? Any Example Of What Organization Would Do?

The standard itself has 3 expected outcomes:
o Enhancement of environmental performance
o Fulfilment of compliance obligations
o Achievement of environmental objectives.
Ultimately, the success of the EMS will be judged against those three elements. One of the areas that we here at NQA believe sets us apart from many other certification bodies is that as part of our assessment programme and through the use of ‘Opportunities for Improvement’ (OFIs) we aim to ensure that any organization’s EMS is achieving that. It also depends on what you want out of your EMS. The above are non-negotiable but other may want a risk management process, a legislative compliance management tool, a badge to wave in front of customers or a toll that will help them play their part in mitigating climate change. Whatever you want from your system, our assessors will ensure you have a system that is ‘fit for purpose’.

Can You Please Clarify The Difference Between Clause 1 Scope And Clause 4.3 Scope?

Clause 1 Scope relates to the scope of the standard itself and details that it specifies the requirements for an environmental management system. It also details the 3 expected outcomes as referenced above in question 10. Clause 4.3 Scope is the scope of your management system and details the boundaries and applicability of the system. It is this form of words that appear on your ISO 14001 certificate.

We Are A Tourism Website; Do We Have To Include Visitor Travel; As We Have Previously Excluded It From Our Scope?

Clause 6.1.2 - Environmental Aspects details that an organization shall determine the environmental aspects that it can control or influence along with their associated aspects. As you have no control and to be honest hardly any influence over how people arrive I wound consider it appropriate to be left out. There is no need to formally exclude it from your scope. Of course you could always try and influence travel such as arrangements with bus/train companies for discounts to visitors if showing a valid travel ticket. This would allow an opportunity to be detailed under 6.1.1

With Regards To Planning And Aspects, Will This Apply To The Business As A Whole Or Do You Need To Go Into Detail Within Each Department, E.G. Operations, Finance, It Etc?

This will depend entirely on the size and complexity of the business. The standard does not instruct how this is to be achieved and therefore, so long at the significant aspects relevant to all activities have been assessed, it is within the realm of the business as to how this is done. Many larger businesses find it more manageable to break the organization down into separate units enabling a better more structured method looking at the issues to be covered.

I Have An Integrated System Certified To ISO 9001 And OHSAS 18001; How Will The Changes To ISO 14001 And These Other Standards Affect My System And Transition?

The introduction of Annex SL will aid the integration process for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 (the new international standard for occupational health and safety management systems). You will need to think about transition dates and transition plans carefully though due to the different publication dates.